Donk
by Countess of Cobert
Summary: *Series 5 spoilers* A different take on how Robert and Cora might come back together, after he loses something dear to him and Sybbie lends a hand. One-shot


As Robert walks into Cora's bedroom that night he feels like an idiot. A weak idiot. All he feels like doing is crying, crying over the death of none other than his dog. Isis. But he can't cry in front of Cora, how weak would that be, to fall straight into her arms when he hadn't totally forgiven her yet. And yet, that was all he wanted to do, fall into her arms and be comforted.

The side of his bed is rolled down for the first time in weeks and Cora is sat up in bed, waiting for him. She's waiting for him. For the first time in weeks. The tears that's he's been trying so hard all day to conceal start falling freely down his face.

"Oh, my darling, don't cry. Come and get into bed and let me comfort you." Her heart almost breaks as he slips into the bed beside her and let's her pull the covers up over him before she settles next to him. For the first time in weeks she places her hand on his chest and he doesn't bat it away. For the first time in weeks they actually lay in bed looking at each other. "I know you think it's weak to cry about the death of a mere dog. But Isis wasn't just a mere dog to you, I know that and the others know that. She was your companion in everything, well everything except bed!" She says the joke before she has thought it through, but rather than regretting it she ends up smiling as a tiny laugh comes from her husband.

He laughs before he realises what he's doing but before he can say anything in response a knock sounds at the door.

"Grandma, I can't sleep, I keep thinking about Isis and I wanted to talk to Donk again to calm me down but he's not in his room. Do you know where he is?" Sybbie's voice, half tearful, half scared wafts through the door and Robert's heart leaps. He had spent much of the afternoon sitting with Sybbie talking about Isis, she after all had been very fond of the dog too.

"Donk's in here, Sybbie darling, you can come in." The door opens and Sybbie runs and jumps straight onto the bed to sit at her grandpa's feet.

"Donk, do you think Isis will go to heaven?"

"Yes, my dear, of course I do. She was a very good dog."

"Yes, she was, but she did kill some types of animals." Robert almost laughs, little Sybbie is just so intelligent. Just like her mother. He steals a glance at Cora beside him and sees her watching the exchange with fascination, a slight tear glinting in her eye. He reaches his hand down to hold her delicate one that still lies on his chest.

"Donk, that's not fair, you are letting Grandma touch you like she is your favourite girl in the world. But you said today that I was your favourite."

"Well, Sybbie dear, Grandma is hardly a girl, she is-"

"Yes she is. Grandma is not a boy therefore, she must be a girl." Cora feels a tear slip down her face as she listens to her granddaughter interrupt Robert so freely, she quite obviously has him wrapped around her finger, quite a few times, just like her mother did. Her Sybil. She would have been such a wonderful mother for her little darling daughter. A daughter so like her it was often like being transported back in time, Cora felt like a young mother again, although perhaps a little less tired at the end of each day and slightly less attractive. "And, you said you loved me the most. But you let Grandma cuddle you when you cry, not me."

"I love you and your grandma, it's just a different kind of love."

"But it can't be Donk, because surely if it was a different kind of love it would have a different name?"

"Well, yes I suppose that would be sensible but it doesn't."

"Then will you explain the difference to me?"

"Sybbie dear, why don't you climb under the covers next to Donk." Robert is thankful for the first time in quite a while at the interruption of Cora's voice and his eyes meet hers, a look of understanding is shared between them that hasn't been there in weeks. "It's time we were all getting some sleep. I don't want to be in trouble with nanny or your Papa if you're tired in the morning. Give Donk a kiss and then I will turn the light out." Sybbie leans over and kisses Robert's cheek before clambering into the bed beside him. Cora snuggles up to her husband again and kisses his neck. "Night darling." For the first time that evening Sybbie's eyes meet her grandmother's.

"Grandma?"

"Yes."

"Why do you lie so close to Donk in bed? Surely it is uncomfortable and very sad when you know he loves me the most of all his girls."

"I get cold in bed, and as you know Donk is very warm and cuddly." Sybbie, seemingly satisfied turns her attention back to Robert.

"You were right about grandma this afternoon Donk. She is very beautiful." Robert and Cora's hearts both jump into their throats at the same time but for totally different reasons. Robert's because he forgot the rule of 'don't tell the children anything you don't want someone else in the house to know, they always tell.' Cora's because if she had heard that correctly, Robert had been telling Sybbie that he thought she was beautiful. Could that really be, when he had been all but ignoring her for weeks? "Donk was telling me today that I was pretty and that I looked like my mother who got all her looks from her mother, my beautiful grandma. Donk said that when he first met you, it was your dark hair, bright blue eyes and pale white skin that made you very beautiful and he said that you are still the most beautiful woman now. Although not quite as pretty as his Sybbie." Cora smiles a half smile at her granddaughter as water begins to cloud her vision. She feels Robert's hand slip into hers and his fingers gently squeeze.

Robert aches to take Cora in his arms and kiss her, prove to her that he does love her, because he does, he really does. Instead he just kisses her gently on the top of the head.

"That's not fair Donk, I didn't get a kiss from you and yet grandma did." He kisses Sybbie on the top of the head.

"Is that better?"

"Yes, very much so." She snuggles down into the bed resting her head on Robert's shoulder. Robert smiles, not many men could boast falling asleep with one beautiful woman either side of them in bed. Although, he corrects himself, it's one beautiful woman and one beautiful girl. One woman that he loves more than anything else and one beautiful granddaughter who wouldn't be in the world if it wasn't for her stunning grandma. Sybbie continues to fidget and he bites his tongue to stop himself from saying that Sybbie is just like her grandma, a fidget in bed. Suddenly she sits up. "I'm going back to my bed, it's too hot in here." She slips out the side of the bed and pads to the door. "Night Donk." As soon as the door closes behind her Cora moves so she can face him, one hand moving a hair from his face.

"It seems I have a rival for your affections." He smiles at Cora's remark, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"You have no rivals my dearest one." Cora's heart leaps, perhaps, just perhaps this is the moment she's been waiting for, the moment when all will be alright again. Sybbie and Isis, two of Robert's favourite girls, are perhaps enough of a catalyst to bring them back to each other again.

"Is what Sybbie said true? Did you tell her you thought I was beautiful?"

"Of course I did. But Sybbie was wrong about one thing. You're not just the most beautiful of all my girls, but the most beautiful woman I've ever met. When I married you I deprived every man in the world of waking up next to the most stunning woman alive." Robert watches with satisfaction as a blush rushes into Cora's cheeks. Only one more thing needs to be said: "I love you."

"I love you too, my darling." His lips are halfway to hers by the time she starts to speak, but even as her words are drowned out by his mouth, he knows what she was saying. He knows that they're alright again. He knows because the kiss he receives, from the only goddess in his life now that Isis is no longer, is the same kind of kiss she gave him when he finally admitted his love for her. A kiss of hope and a new beginning.


End file.
